Citations

Abstract Background There is limited data on immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) use in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and known pericardial effusions. Methods This international multi-center observational retrospective study included patients with advanced NSCLC with or without pericardial effusions receiving ICIs. Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) were graded per CTCAE v5.0. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards multivariable models assessed the association between survival outcomes and clinicopathologic variables, and an inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) model compared outcomes between the two groups. Results A total of 1248 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with ICIs across 13 institutions were included. Of these, 85 patients (6.8%) had pre-existing pericardial effusions. Compared to controls, patients with pericardial effusions were younger (median age 63 vs 67 years, P = .007), diagnosed more frequently with PD-L1 positive tumors (96% vs 76%, P < .001), and had a higher median number of baseline metastatic sites (3 vs 1, P < .001). IrAEs were similar between both groups (42% vs 38%), and no cardiac irAEs occurred in patients with pericardial effusions. PFS (median 5.6 vs 4.6 months, P = .3) and OS (median 10.2 vs 14.7 months, P = .50) were not statistically different between patients with pericardial effusions and the controls, respectively. In both multivariable and IPTW models, pericardial effusions were not associated with PFS or OS. Conclusions Among patients with NSCLC and pre-existing pericardial effusions, ICIs demonstrate meaningful clinical benefit similar to those without effusions, with no new cardiac or severe toxicities.

Abstract Purpose: Circulating tumor fraction estimate (ctFE) is a machine learning–derived composite metric of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) burden. We hypothesized that pre-treatment and early on-treatment ctFE could robustly risk-stratify patients with locally advanced (LA) and oligometastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with radiotherapy (RT). Experimental Design: In a prospective phase II clinical trial (NCT03916419), 26 patients with unresectable stage IIB to IIIC NSCLC received magnetic resonance (MR)-guided hypofractionated chemoradiotherapy (chemoRT) followed by immunotherapy. Plasma ctDNA was profiled at baseline and mid-treatment (days 10–14) to derive ctFE and maximum variant allele frequency (Max VAF). A burden-based ctFE threshold derived from baseline samples was applied unchanged to mid-treatment samples and validated in two external cohorts: LA NSCLC treated with chemoRT (LA-RW; n = 94) and oligometastatic NSCLC treated with RT (OM-RW; n = 309). Results: Pre- and mid-treatment ctFE burden strongly stratified overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), outperforming Max VAF and ctFE detectability. The baseline ctFE was prognostic for OS (HR 5.93, P = 0.005) and PFS (HR 11.08, P < 0.001) and remained significant at mid-treatment (OS: HR 7.08; PFS: HR 12.06; both P < 0.001). Early ctFE dynamics defined three molecular response groups with OS separation (median OS 60.8 vs. 13.0 vs. 2.9 months; P < 0.001). ctFE remained associated with survival in both validation cohorts. Conclusions: Early ctFE derived from a clinically available, tumor-naïve ctDNA assay enables noninvasive risk stratification in LA and oligometastatic NSCLC treated with RT, supporting its use as a practical biomarker for precision treatment adaptation.

Abstract Viral infections are estimated to contribute to 12% to 20% of all cancers worldwide, with virus-driven malignancies disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries, whereas metabolic and nonviral factors predominate in high-income regions. Key oncogenic viruses that cause solid tumors include high-risk human papillomaviruses, Epstein–Barr virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, Kaposi sarcoma–associated herpesvirus, and Merkel cell polyomavirus. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have revolutionized cancer therapy by boosting immune responses against tumors. Although viral infection–associated tumors often exhibit “hot” immune profiles, clinical outcomes with ICIs remain inconsistent. Some studies report improved survival in virus-associated cancers, whereas others indicate no clear benefit, which might reflect high variability in tumor microenvironments and immune responses. In this review, we aim to explore the direct and indirect contribution of different viruses to carcinogenesis in solid tumors, with a particular focus on immunotherapy effectiveness based on infection status.

Abstract Rationale Critically ill lung cancer patients are a growing, high-risk population. However, prognostic tools to guide intensive care unit (ICU) decision-making are limited. Objectives To identify oncologic and critical illness factors associated with 90-day mortality following ICU admission in patients with lung cancer. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of lung cancer patients admitted to the ICU across Mayo Clinic Health System between 2018 and 2024. The primary outcome was 90-day mortality. Two complementary Cox proportional hazards models were developed: a focused model including cancer-specific variables (stage, time since diagnosis, time since last systemic therapy, prior thoracotomy, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] performance status prior to admission, body mass index, cause of critical illness, code status at admission) and a full model that added broader clinical factors (age and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment [SOFA] score). We also evaluated discharge disposition and transitions in code status. Results Among 528 patients, 90-day mortality was 58.7%. In the focused model (C-index 0.67), independent predictors of mortality included late-stage disease, cancer-specific reason for ICU admission, limitations in resuscitation orders, and ECOG >1. In the full model (C-index 0.95), only age and SOFA score remained significant. Among early-stage patients, recent targeted or combination therapy was associated with higher mortality, though this association may reflect underlying disease characteristics or treatment selection rather than direct treatment effects. Patients who changed code status during admission had high mortality (83%) and a low rate of discharge home (11%). Conclusion Lung cancer patients admitted to ICU experience high short-term mortality, with outcomes shaped by both oncologic status and the severity of acute illness. A dual-model approach suggests a risk hierarchy: Cancer-specific factors inform baseline mortality risk with an ICU admission, but age and physiologic derangement are the dominant drivers of survival once critical illness develops. These findings support dynamic, multidisciplinary prognostication and underscore the need to integrate oncology and critical care expertise in ICU decision-making.

AbstractThe discovery of activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene has revolutionized the management of lung cancer, enabling the development of targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). These therapies offer improved survival and reduced side effects compared with conventional treatments. Recent advancements have significantly reshaped the treatment paradigm for EGFR‐mutant non‐small cell lung cancer. TKIs are now incorporated into the management of early stage and locally advanced disease, and phase 3 trials have explored combination strategies in metastatic settings. Although these intensified approaches improve progression‐free survival, they come with increased toxicity and higher costs, underscoring the need for precise patient selection to maximize benefit. Emerging data on biomarkers, such as co‐mutations and circulating tumor DNA, show promise for refining treatment decisions. In addition, significant progress in understanding resistance mechanisms to EGFR TKIs has broadened therapeutic options. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of EGFR‐mutant nonsmall cell lung cancer, highlighting recent breakthroughs and discussing strategies to optimize treatment based on the latest evidence.

Importance Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are efficacious in many cancer types but can produce immune-related adverse events (irAEs). As such, patients with preexisting autoimmune disorders are often excluded from clinical trials, although subsequent studies have shown that many of these patients have acceptable ICI tolerance. The safety and efficacy of ICIs among patients with preexisting neurologic autoimmune disorders (NAIDs) is not well characterized. Objective To evaluate the safety and clinical outcomes associated with ICI therapy among patients with NAIDs. Design, Setting, and Participants This multicenter retrospective cohort study included patients with cancer who were treated with ICIs between October 2013 and May 2023 and had preexisting multiple sclerosis (MS), myasthenia gravis (MG), Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), and other NAIDs as well as a control cohort of patients with Parkinson disease (PD). Exposure ICI therapy. Main Outcomes and Measures Demographic and clinical characteristics (neurologic disability, active or recent immunosuppression), ICI outcomes (response, progression-free survival [PFS], and overall survival [OS]), and safety outcomes (NAID exacerbation, irAEs) were collected. Results A total of 135 patients were included; the median (range) age was 72 (40-88) years, 84 (62%) were men, and 51 (38%) were women. A total of 45 patients had MS; 18, MG; 10, GBS; 5, another NAID; and 57, PD. Exacerbations occurred most frequently in MG (12 of 18 patients [67%]), often resulting in hospitalization (6 [50%]) or death (2 [17%]), with much lower rates in the MS cohort (8 of 45 patients [18%]). Ten patients with a history of GBS tolerated ICI without exacerbations, although 1 developed a fatal case of Lambert Eaton myasthenic syndrome following ICI treatment. No differences in response rate, PFS, or OS were observed between NAID groups. Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study of ICI use in NAIDs, patients with MG had frequent and more severe exacerbations, while those with MS had few exacerbations. No obvious differences in survival between groups were observed. ICI may be an option for many patients with appropriate oncologic indications and preexisting NAIDs.

e20615 Background: Patients with Stage IV NSCLC have a poor prognosis, with approximately 25-30% succumbing to the disease within the first three months. However, survival outcomes can vary significantly depending on individual factors and advancements in treatment options. Therefore, it is crucial to identify patients at high risk of poor survival outcomes to tailor personalized treatment strategies and optimize clinical management. An international study has been conducted to generate prognostic scores for patients with Stage IV NSCLC. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted using real-world data (RWD) from South Korea (ROOT-HEALTH database from Samsung Medical Center), the USA (COTA NSCLC dataset) and France (CIAN lung cohort from Centre Léon Bérard). Patients with stage IV NSCLC between January 2008 and December 2023 were included. The study's primary objective was to learn from patients ‘baseline characteristics affecting overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) to derive a prognostic score reflecting relative risk of death for given patient. A partition strategy was used, with 70% of the cohort for training and 30% for validation. Data-driven feature elimination has been applied to avoid overfitting of the models. Nested cross-validation reduced selection bias in hyperparameter tuning and model selection. Results: A total of 7,805 patients with NSCLC were included in the final analysis (USA: n=610, France: n=271, Korea: n=6,924). In the Korean dataset, the model achieved a C-index of 0.872 for OS using 35 selected variables. For the USA dataset, the model, based on 15 selected variables, demonstrated a C-index of 0.707 for OS. For PFS, the Korean dataset demonstrated a C-index of 0.823, the USA dataset achieved a C-index of 0.664, and the French dataset reported a C-index of 0.64, using 15 selected variables. The important predictors for OS included albumin, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, bilirubin, and druggable mutations. For PFS, important predictors included LDH, albumin, hemoglobin, MET mutation, bilirubin, and BMI. The prognostic scores derived from these models allowed to identify patients with higher risk of death, than average, in each country. Conclusions: This study generates prognostic scores for OS and PFS in stage IV NSCLC using longitudinal international data from the USA, France, and South Korea throughout the cancer journey. It has the potential to support better treatment strategy for severe patients in clinical practice and early decision-making in clinical studies. Further research utilizing diverse international cohorts is essential to refine prognostic scores and enhance personalized treatment strategies for stage IV NSCLC patients.

1652 Background: Tarlatamab is a bispecific T-cell engager targeting DLL3 that has shown promise as a therapy in small cell lung cancer. Administering tarlatamab requires careful consideration of immune-related adverse events (AE), including cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). Prescribing information recommends patients to be monitored for 22-24 hours in an appropriate healthcare setting for cycle 1 (C1), days 1 and 8. At Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN (MCR), tarlatamab is initially administered in a hospital-based outpatient (HBO) setting utilizing an innovative remote patient monitoring system (RPM). In this study, we describe our RPM process and patient outcomes thus far. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed records of patients treated with tarlatamab from August through December 2024. All patients received tarlatamab in the HBO setting and were enrolled into RPM for C1, days 1–10. Patients attended daily HBO visits on days 1–3 and 8–10 of C1 and were required to stay within 30 minutes of the hospital with a 24-hour caregiver for 48 hours following infusion days in C1-2. Data on patient characteristics, frequency of RPM alerts, escalations, rate of CRS & ICANS, and need for hospitalizations were reported using descriptive metrics. Results: As part of RPM, patients are provided with a kit containing preconnected Bluetooth-enabled devices to measure vital signs (VS), including blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), temperature (T), and pulse oximetry (SpO2). The kit also includes a cellular-enabled tablet for electronic ICANS questionnaires, which upload directly into our electronic medical record system. Patients are required to log VS four times daily, monitored in real-time by a centralized virtual RPM nursing (RN) team. Embedded decision trees trigger alerts, prompting the RN team to contact patients and follow care pathways for escalations as needed. Among the 16 patients treated, the median age was 68 years, and the median ECOG PS was 1. During the 10-day RPM period, a total of 2,233 VS entries were recorded. Of these, 88% (14/16) of patients had alerts triggered, with a median of 2 alerts per patient. Alerts were mostly for out-of-range systolic BP (56%), HR (56%), and T (25%), with none for SpO2. The RN team escalated alerts in 50% (8/16) of the patients. Overall, 38% (6/16) of patients were managed entirely in the HBO setting. Among the 63% hospitalized, 56% had CRS limited to grade (G) 2, and 31% had ICANS limited to G3. Two patients were hospitalized for other indications. The mean length of stay was 2.6 days, with no ICU admissions. Conclusions: Our experience shows that frequent monitoring required with tarlatamab can be safely and effectively executed in an outpatient setting with the utilization of an RPM system. It can potentially minimize the burden of hospitalizations for patients and the healthcare system.

e20141 Background: TET are rare and challenging entities in clinical practice. Prospective trials in thymoma and thymic carcinoma (TC) are scarce. Limited number of small trials investigated the role of ICI in TET, and showed some clinical efficacy, but also with immune related adverse events (irAE). Guidelines list ICI as a treatment option in the 2 nd line, although no FDA approval was granted. Aside from the small trials, there is limited real world data about the efficacy and toxicity of ICI in TET. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of the medical records of all patients (pts) with TET who were treated with ICI between 3/25/2011 and 11/30/2024 at 5 Mayo Clinic sites. We collected data about baseline characteristics, diagnosis, irAE, and outcomes. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate median progression free survival (mPFS), and hazard ratio (HR) with Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: 30 pts were included, 28 diagnosed with TC, and 2 with malignant thymoma. 70% of pts were male. Median age at time of diagnosis was 61 years (range: 15 to 82), and median ECOG at the time of diagnosis was 0. 29 pts received Pembrolizumab, and one received Durvalumab. Prior to ICI, 86.67% of patients received chemotherapy. 70% of pts discontinued ICI use, 60% due to progression, and 10% due to irAE. Overall response rate (ORR) was 23.33%, with 3.33% complete response, and 20% partial response. Disease control rate (DCR) was 63.33%. The mPFS was 10.13 months. At the time of analysis 60% of pts were still alive. 40% of patients had irAE. While the two patients with thymoma experienced irAE, only 33.33% of those with TC had these events. 26.67% of pts had thyroiditis. Pancreatitis, pneumonitis, dermatitis, and encephalitis each occurred in 3.33% of pts. The median time to irAE onset was 75 days. 25% of irAE were grade 1, 66.67% grade 2, 0% grade 3, and 8.33% grade 4, represented by the case of encephalitis. Resolution of irAE occurred in 33.33% of cases. When stratified according to the occurrence of irAE, the mPFS was the same in both groups, with or without irAE, being 10.13 months, HR=0.99 (95% CI 0.39 – 2.54). Conclusions: In this real-world cohort of pts with TET, efficacy of ICI matched what has been previously reported, with similar ORR and DCR, but with longer mPFS. However, irAE incidence was higher, but with less grade 3/4 events. Differently than what has been suggested in other diseases, irAE occurrence did not correlate with better outcomes. These results validate the role of ICI in the treatment of TET, especially TC. Nonetheless, improving patient selection, and developing other therapeutic strategies, including combinations of ICI and other drugs, for these malignancies remain essential. Importantly, the high incidence of irAE indicates that future investigations must also focus on safety of interventions and supportive care in TET.